dear excuses, PREPARE TO DIE (2)
By Dr. Michael Brooks
I often wonder why people are so afraid to make life-changing choices. When they think about it, they make excuses for why they can’t! To make changes, it takes a plan, and with the plan, it takes courage, commitment and resolve to make things happen. If you want to be miserable the rest of your life and look back saying, should have, could have, would have, in order to be a success with your life, and you don’t, whose fault is that?
Stop making excuses, people are tired of it!
What excuses will you look back at and kick your self for using them? So what excuses do you often use to get out of having your dreams and visions come to life? Well, here are a few that you may use and if you do, STOP using them.
- I don’t have the time to do it
- I don’t have the money
- I have other important things to do
- I’ll start next year on planning it
- I can’t rush into it
- Stop asking, it’ll happen when I’m ready
I had a client who wanted to start an ATV repair shop. We talked, and I kept hearing how he didn’t have the money to start a mom and pop shop. I asked him if he had planned in advance the funds that he needed and the timeframe of when this new adventure would take place. “No, I didn’t plan a timeline when this would happen. I want to get the shop up and running this year,” he said. Have you looked into renting a vacant building or using your garage at the house? He thought about having a shop in his garage. Now, this guy was an amazing ATV mechanic and would do well anywhere he set up shop. So, I went through what I thought he would need to get a business going. He agreed and liked my idea’s, but immediately went to the mindset, “I don’t have the money!” He never started that business, and to this day kicks himself for not planning or talking to a bank to get a loan, he works for someone else and can’t stand his boss.
If money is holding you back, talk to someone who can help you get a bank loan or how to save your money to start a business. Money should not hold you back, you may have to start small, and you may have to save your money for a while, but believe in your dreams.
Another excuse is, it takes too much work, and I’m not ready to move forward on my plans. People get some great idea’s and refuse to do the work to make it happen. Plans take energy and time and lots of it. I remember as a thirty-year-old how bad I wanted to open a fitness center back in Wisconsin. My town was pretty small about 16,000 people. I had the experience of running a fitness center and the drive to make it happen. I didn’t realize the amount of work required for owning and operating one, the paperwork to get it started was mind-blowing, and for a while, I was getting all the necessary paperwork required. I was losing steam, and tired of talking to the county, state and local powers that be. The fun part was planning the equipment I wanted to order, the kind of trainers that I wanted to hire, all that was fun to me. The other not so much. I had to admit it wasn’t the time to make this happen. So, I simply admitted that this was way to much work for me.
Next week, I will be sharing with you how to deal with making excuses for your failures. I share my insights and how I overcame the excuses I made.